


Rogue Spy: the True Story

by Crumby



Series: Alternate Rogue Spy [1]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crack, F/F, F/M, Gen, Humor, Parody, Sarah's confused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-05
Updated: 2012-03-16
Packaged: 2017-11-13 17:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/505802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crumby/pseuds/Crumby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten scenes painting an alternate and humorous take on Sarah & "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy".<br/>Contains lots of innuendo, but what it's really about is Sarah's righteous & understandable complaining about how much unnecessary clothes she has to wear. Crack!Fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Montréal-Trudeau Airport

**Author's Note:**

> First posted on ff-net in March '12.  
> Beta'd by the fantastic [mxpw](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mxpw999). Thanks BetaMax!  
> Enjoy and thanks for reading. :)
> 
> Disclaimer:  
> THIS STORY IS VERY SERIOUS.  
> THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT IS HAPPENING WHILE SARAH IS AWAY IN "CHUCK VS. THE ROGUE SPY".  
> DON'T BE FOOLED BY WORDS LIKE “ALTERNATE” OR “PARODY.”  
> THIS IS THE REAL THING.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first scene takes place right after the first chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**October 8, 2009** _

Sarah hurried down the corridor.

She cursed herself when she realized she still hadn't put her sunglasses on to hide her face, and started rummaging through her purse.

Damn Chuck and his distracting ways! She had forgotten what his presence could do to her after all these months. Who could blame her, though? His nerdy hotness was pretty obvious to everybody that dared to give him a second look.

Putting on her sunglasses, she could feel the dread about her upcoming conversation reappear. It would be interesting.

How was Sarah going to justify risking going back to L.A. to take that plane? If Sarah mentioned Chuck again, she was in for another fight. The make-up activities that followed were _always_ worth it, but Sarah still felt like passing on this one.

She just wouldn't understand Sarah's need to protect him. Sarah knew it.

The phone in her pants suit was burning Sarah through the cloth. She wasn't sure how she was going to explain that one, either. Well, she could simply keep it to herself; then she wouldn't have to explain. Yeah, she'd probably do that.

Sarah dug the phone out of her pants pocket, and shoved it in her purse. She couldn't wait to get out of her ridiculous pants suit. She had never been surer of anything than that. Her legs weren't meant to be camouflaged. They were way too pretty for that.

This was hell. It was the only explanation.

Sarah heard a distant, "Bienvenue à l'aéroport Montréal-Trudeau," as she mingled amongst the passengers in search of her ride.

It didn't take Sarah long to spot her. She simply had to look for the person with the least amount of clothes on. She casually advanced toward her.

"Damn, you're really rocking this Farrah Walker look," she told Sarah as soon as she came within earshot, and gave her an appraising head to toe glance.

Sarah rolled her eyes, but gave the other woman a broad smile, nonetheless. Her friend winked at her, and made a show of suggestively uncrossing her legs, before rising to her feet.

"Hi," she said, and leaned forward to give Sarah a kiss in greeting.

Sarah only gave her a brief peck. "Hi."

Sarah saw the frown overtake Carina's face immediately. She sighed inwardly, but didn't acknowledge it. Maybe if she ignored it, Carina wouldn't ask? Yeah, that wasn't happening.

"Let's get out of here," Sarah said instead. She grabbed Carina's hand in hers, squeezed it in an attempt to reassure her, and yanked on it gently as she headed towards the exit. "I really need to change."


	2. Victorville's Surroundings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place right after Sarah's scenes in the second chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**August 6, 2009** _

"Come on, pick up the phone!" Sarah said out loud in frustration.

Carina wasn't answering, and Sarah was getting impatient. She was currently driving away from Victorville. Well, admittedly, she was more like racing away, considering the speed. She was pushing her dump of a car to its maximum.

She had hoped to catch Carina on the phone before eating, but that didn't seem in the cards. She tilted her head to the side to tuck her phone between her shoulder and ear, and reached over to the passenger seat to grab a sandwich.

"Hey, hon," Carina said, when she finally answered the call.

"Hey, it's me," Sarah said, and forgot all about her food. "I don't think I'll make it to Vegas this time. I'm sorry."

"What? What happened?" Sarah's frustration increased at Carina's obvious disappointment. Stupid Florian Kauffman! Or whatever the hell his real name was.

"Some guy attacked me at my hotel. I need to head down to Mexico."

"Oh. Are you okay?" There was the concern. Luckily, it never lasted long with Carina.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Well, if you're going to Mexico, I could meet you there." Not long at all. "Um," Carina droned out the sound as she was obviously contemplating their options. "How about Cabo? We had so much fun last time with Bryce!"

"I don't know."

"What is it?"

"Bryce just died," Sarah said, annoyed. This should be obvious. "Do you really want to go back there?"

"Bryce died ages ago."

"Three months ago," Sarah said.

"That's what I said. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Sarah sighed loudly.

"You, me, a sunny beach, cocktails with colorful umbrellas," Carina added in a sing-song voice. "And most importantly of all: our bikinis." She paused. "Well…at least, at first."

Sarah's mind was swamped with several pleasant images. "Yeah, it does sound like fun," she admitted. "We could do that somewhere else than Cabo, though."

"Fine," Carina agreed, likely because she was getting bored by the conversation. That was an easy way to win an argument with her: just make it last. "You pick then."

"I could catch a plane for Cancun in Phoenix." Sarah would go to San Diego first, cover-up her attempt to go to L.A., and catch a plane there. Carina didn't need to know the details.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Cabo's closer, babe." Sarah felt briefly guilty over not telling Carina about what she was really doing, but the less she knew, the safer she'd be. "You wouldn't have to fly."

"I have something in mind. I'll be fine."

"Okay, well, text me the details." Carina never was one to worry too much, anyway. "I'm gonna go shopping for the trip! I can't wait!"

Sarah laughed at her enthusiasm. It made her throat hurt. Stupid random assassin! She coughed, and decided to focus back on happier thoughts. "Um, I think I'll have to shop once there." She did have a bikini in her bag—she had kept it for something special—but it was better that Carina didn't know about it. She tended to get a little jealous sometimes.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll take care of it!"

"Carina," Sarah warned.

She ignored Sarah—not an unusual occurrence. "I should get on it!"

"Try to get me something with actual fabric this time!"

Sarah liked to show off her legs; it was only fair to them considering how pretty they were. She liked to show off the rest of her too, to be honest, but Carina could get a little excessive.

"No promises!"


	3. Undisclosed Bar, Miami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place right after the third chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**October 23, 2009** _

Sarah hung the pay phone back, and hurried to the bar.

"Another one," she immediately told the bartender.

He raised his eyebrows at her. His glance went to the back area—where there were two pay phones—to the bathroom door—where Carina had left a few minutes ago—and then back at her.

Sarah gave him a look. He retreated to serve her mojito, her beverage of choice ever since Ellie had introduced her to it.

"Missed me," Sarah heard behind her. She had been eyeing the judgmental bartender and Carina startled her. Sarah bumped her left hip against the bar when she whirled around toward Carina. She winced in pain, and set her jaw.

"Sorry," Carina said, although she was gazing at Sarah with surprise in her eyes. It wasn't like her to be startled; especially since the incident in Lisbon.

Sarah didn't acknowledge the look. "You want another?" she asked instead.

"Of course," Carina said, and signalled the bartender. He nodded to indicate his understanding, and gave another weird glance toward Sarah. "What's this guy's problem?" Carina asked when she caught it.

Sarah shrugged.

"He probably has a crush on you," Carina said with a wink.

Sarah chuckled nervously, and guilt made her look away.

When Carina had left for the bathroom, Sarah had taken the opportunity to call Chuck. It wasn't fair to Carina, but after the last incident (Sarah put her money on another evil French-Canadian to be responsible for it, but she didn't know who had attacked her the day before, scarring her left flank in the process.), Sarah had wanted to hear from him. She wasn't sure why—maybe it was that he could make her feel safe in a way that nobody else could; maybe she had just wanted to make sure that he and everybody else in Burbank were okay too; maybe both. It didn't matter.

It had been a mistake. Chuck had convinced her to meet with him in Seattle in November. How was she going explain that one to Carina, now?

"We should show him he's wasting his time," Carina said meaningfully, and crushed Sarah's side, even though there was plenty of space at the bar.

The place was loud and crowded, but not enough to require that much proximity. There were laws against such things. Sarah shook her head at herself. Since when did she care about these laws? That last attack had really messed her up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Carina asked with more concern than usual. "You look kinda pale."

"I'm just tired," she replied.

The bartender, obviously on tap tonight to make Sarah as uncomfortable as possible, put down both of their glasses in front of them. He never saw anybody stray a little bit? He was a bartender for Christ's sake! Carina shoved money in his direction, and dismissed him immediately. She didn't like guys intruding on her "Sarah time."

She sipped on her vodka before turning completely to Sarah, still invading her personal space. Not that Sarah really minded. "Maybe we should just call it a night then," she said, her fingers playing low with the pendant of her necklace.

Sarah's eyes flickered down at the gesture.

Carina's grin broadened.

When Sarah didn't respond, though, her smile faded slightly. Not one to give up easily, she sunk her fingers down into her glass and grabbed a slice of lemon. "What do you say, Blondie?" she said, before lifting it up to her lips, and sucked.

Mesmerized by what Carina's mouth was doing to the slice of lemon, Sarah indulged herself a moment to watch. She had almost died the day before, after all. Some happier times were well deserved.

Plus, Carina was certainly helping with Sarah's "I'm-always-cold" issue.

Sarah smiled then, in the way she knew Carina particularly liked. She drank her mojito bottoms up, and took Carina's hand, like she often did.

"Let's go," she said over her shoulder while leading them outside.


	4. King Street Station, Seattle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place right after the fourth chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**November 6, 2009** _

"About time! What the hell took you so long?"

Sarah winced. Her walk to the station in the cool nocturnal air had helped her clear her mind, but she was still shaken from her encounter with Chuck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she told Carina, as she closed the distance, a little out of breath. She had kept a fast pace through the streets of Seattle.

Sarah put down her bag at the foot of the seat next to Carina's and sagged down.

Carina's eyebrows furrowed. "Well? Can I at least get a real greeting?" she asked.

Sarah suddenly felt horrible. It was about time, indeed, to tell Carina about Chuck. _Really_ tell her.

After the phone call she had made while in Miami, she knew she couldn't keep doing what she was doing to them. She had hoped that the seminar would only be a goodbye, and close that part of their lives.

That was why she had asked Carina to meet with her afterwards. Sarah had told her she'd moved around all day to mislead her pursuers, before going back to Vancouver where her Chevy Impala was waiting.

But nothing of the sort had happened.

Chuck had won her over, seconds after minutes after hours.

As great as their time together was—and it certainly was amazing—she knew that she and Carina couldn't solve all their problems by spending all their time in the bedroom. Or the bathroom. Or the living room. Or…

Sarah sighed in contemplation. That kind of train of thought was distracting, and before she knew it, she was leaning in to give Carina the kiss she had demanded.

Carina immediately crashed her body into Sarah's, and used her tongue—like she really knew how—to deepen the kiss.

In the back of her mind, Sarah was thinking about how it wasn't a good idea to be doing this in public and attracting attention, but she couldn't bring herself to care right away.

Carina was actually the one to break the embrace first, and when she did, Sarah's resolve was already half way out the window.

She slowly opened her eyes.

The eyes that met hers weren't glassy, like they should have been.

They were troubled.

Uh-oh.

Sarah moistened her lips, as though she could take back whatever realization Carina had just come to.

"Where did you have popcorn?"


	5. Sarah and Carina's Favorite Las Vegas Hotel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place right after the fifth chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**December 1, 2009** _

Sarah was pissed.

Once the shock over the involvement of the Ring into the attacks she had been a victim of, and the following set up within the government resulting in her flight had worn off, anger had settled.

Carina must have known about Amy. Chuck had her arrested back in September. It was unlikely that Carina hadn't been told, or hadn't heard about it. Why the hell hadn't she let Sarah know?

Jumping out of her car, Sarah's steps on the pavement were loud—louder than they'd ever been during the last six months. She didn't care.

Guilt had been tearing at Sarah for months about her feelings for Chuck. She had been trying to make things right since Seattle. After Carina's—although adorable, but a little psychotic— breakdown at King Street Station, it had taken some hard work to appease her, and explain. Even though Sarah had managed to calm her down, she had failed miserably so far to actually find a solution, but she'd been _trying_.

Yet, all the while, Carina had been keeping information from her as well? What else had she hidden from Sarah?

"Hey, you're finally here!" Carina exclaimed with a smile, as Sarah approached the booth she was sitting at.

After texting Chuck that she was back on the road when she left Phoenix (he worried a lot), Sarah had called Carina to meet with her in their usual spot in Vegas.

Carina's face fell instantly when Sarah's expression became clear to her. "What's going on?" she asked, and she straightened in her seat.

Always ready for a fight.

"Guess who I saw today?" Sarah said, with her hands on both of her hips.

Carina gave her a quizzical look. Sarah didn't leave her time to reply.

"Amy!" Carina's face fell even more. Sarah hadn't thought it was possible. "She was glad to see me, too," Sarah added.

"Sarah—"

"She's the one that's been trying to kill me for the last two months!"

Carina's eyes widened at the news.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

After a long pause, as Carina was obviously processing what Sarah had just told her, she spoke, "I'm sorry, I thought she had been arrested."

"She's the one who interrupted our date in Chicago, you know," Sarah said.

Carina scoffed. "Our date, or your date with Chuck?"

"I didn't even see him there! You know that!" Sarah said, and realized she almost sounded disappointed about that, instead of apologetic. She didn't dwell on it; she was pissed. "Why?" Sarah repeated in an icy tone that could reverse global warming.

The annoyance about Chuck gone, Carina didn't only look guilty; she also looked oddly embarrassed, which was an unusual sight for her. And since Sarah was one of the people that knew her best, she could tell Carina looked a little bit upset as well.

It exasperated Sarah. Couldn't she just let Sarah be pissed at her? She really had to actually make Sarah feel bad about it, now?

"Don't play dumb with me, Sarah! You know full well why!"

Sarah's mind went blank for a moment. Did she?

"I knew you'd go back to her!" Carina added, clearly upset now.

A light in Sarah's head switched on. A rush of emotions overcame her.

Sarah sat down opposite Carina on the booth to regain her composure. Instinctively, she reached out across the table, but Carina crossed her arms over her cleavage and leaned back against her seat.

What Sarah hadn't registered in her haste to confront Carina was the real source of her anger.

She had subconsciously put the thought at the back of her mind. It was all clear, now.

Amy was the mole, which meant that Zondra wasn't.

That was what Carina had been hiding from Sarah.

That was why Sarah was mad.

Zondra.


	6. Bamboo Dragon's Parking Lot, Los Angeles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place between the third and fourth sections of the sixth chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**December 2, 2009** _

"Hello."

"Hi," Sarah said over the phone. "It's me," she said, like she used to do, before remembering herself. "Sarah."

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Sarah wondered if it had been a mistake to call.

"Hi," Zondra replied. Her tone wasn't indicative of anything. Was she mad? Indifferent? Glad that Sarah was calling?

"I learned about Amy," Sarah said next, as if it explained everything.

That seemed to surprise her ex…partner. "You only just got back from your undercover op?"

What? Undercover op? Oh, Beckman's cover story, Sarah recalled. Zondra had apparently been told the same thing that Chuck had.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"I tried to call you in September," Zondra said. "After Amy got arrested."

"You called?"

Just like Sarah had felt the need to, now that she knew the truth about whom the CAT Squad mole was, Zondra had called as well. Sarah felt a wave of heat warm her heart. She unzipped her stupid, really far too concealing jacket.

One of the annoying consequences of being on the run: more clothes. Sarah was wearing a lot more of them these days than she had ever been used to, or liked, because the constant fatigue made her cold.

"I did," Zondra said. "Your mission was pretty well protected, though—high clearance and all. Carina told me you were in deep."

Carina told her. Sarah gritted her teeth. She was still pissed at Carina.

When Sarah had heard Chuck's voicemail explaining his flash on James Keller and his suspicions about Casey regarding the Ring, she had left without an explanation. There had been tears, pleading, Carina even tried the angry sex card, but Sarah hadn't been in the mood—which was really significant in itself because, let's face it, she rarely  _wasn't_  in the mood with Carina. Sarah had said she would call when she calmed down, and left.

"It's complicated," Sarah said. It was a non-committal answer: no real lies, no real truths either—Sarah had mastered this. She changed the subject. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Zondra replied. "I should have never jumped to conclusions."

"Me neither. It cost us a lot of years," Sarah said, somewhat glumly.

"Yeah… We could try to make up for it," Zondra said in what sounded like a hopeful tone. It made Sarah smile. "We were good friends."

Sarah wasn't sure she'd have called it being "good friends," but whatever. "Yeah, I miss that," she said.

"Where are you now?" Zondra asked.

"I can't..." Sarah looked at the entrance to the Bamboo Dragon through the windshield. Chuck was inside, getting them dinner. He had insisted that they stop there, before going to stake out Casey outside of Castle. Sarah knew it was because he had remembered the comment about sizzling shrimp she had made in Seattle. He was so adorable, and caring. "I can't really say."

"Why not? You working?"

"Sort of, yeah." Spending time with Chuck wasn't exactly work. She didn't have a job anymore. She was here for Casey, though. So "sort of" kind of matched. A little. Not really.

"Well, I'm in Cali. The weather's nice, but Los Angeles has all the cultural panache of a porta-potty."

Sarah laughed. "That sounds like something Carina would say," she said, before realizing it. She felt her lips lower at the thought of Carina.

"She said you had worked around here for some time. Yawning assignment, that's all I could make out of what she said. Anything good to do?"

Sarah could think of a few things to do in L.A., indeed. Come to think of it, they weren't necessarily characteristic of L.A. It wasn't a really good idea to think about those things at this time, however.

There was still this Casey/Ring thing to sort out. Plus, she was with Chuck.

A little voice, deep inside her mind, was telling her something else, though: Sarah needed to know. Zondra was in L.A. Would Sarah get an opportunity like this one again?

Fraught with indecision, she sighed. If she and Chuck cleared up what was going on with Casey quickly, Sarah might be able to see Zondra—find out what she needed to know, and head back on the road again. Simple. It wouldn't hurt Chuck, either.

"Actually, yeah," Sarah said. "I might be able to help with that."


	7. Casey's Safe House, Los Angeles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place after the seventh chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**December 2, 2009** _

Usually, showering was synonym for a good time for Sarah.

Today, it wasn't.

The past few days had been confusing,  _very_  confusing. Sure, discovering that the Ring was the criminal organization out to kill her had been an important revelation. Of course, still being on the run from the government which thought she was a traitor was difficult. But really, it was Sarah's feelings for Carina, Chuck, and Zondra that made her head spin.

Constantly thinking back and forth between the three of them was seriously impacting her happy shower time.

Sarah put the showerhead back up in frustration, and buried her face under a stream of cold water.

She washed off one last time, before stepping out of the cubicle and drying herself.

Zondra would be arriving any minute now.

Sarah had called her when Chuck and Casey had left for Castle to grab the surveillance van. She had a relatively narrow window—they'd be gone an hour total—to see Zondra, and sort things out. Sarah hadn't been sure she'd have another opportunity, who knew what they'd find in that building. So she had called.

She'd been torn between her feelings for Carina and her feelings for Chuck for months now. And that was without counting her remaining feelings for her other ex.

Recently, the revelation of Zondra's innocence had made old, deeply buried feelings and emotions resurface. They had never really ended their relationship. Suspicion and lack of trust had drifted them apart, but the love had always been there, regardless.

Was it still?

Sarah needed to make sure before she made a decision. That was the right thing to do—the only thing to do. She owed it to Chuck, and Carina, and Zondra, and…all of them. She owed it to herself.

She opted for a simple pair of jeans and one of her old Orange Orange tank tops (finally something decent to wear) that Chuck had brought for her from Castle last night. He had kept her old clothes all these months. Sarah sighed.

Technically, she wasn't  _really_  cheating on Chuck per se. They had never said they were dating exclusively, after all. She wasn't going to do anything with Zondra anyway. She was almost sure of that. It didn't really make her feel better, though. Sarah shook her head at the sap she was seeing in the mirror.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Carefully, Sarah grabbed her gun and walked to the entrance. After checking that it was Zondra through the peephole, she put the gun into her waistband, took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi," she said, with a small smile. She wasn't sure what to expect from this encounter. She had some ideas, but…Sarah was confused.

"Hi," Zondra said.

Damn it, Sarah thought. Nothing had changed. She stood there a few more seconds taking in the sight before her.

Zondra had her helmet in hand. She must have ridden her bike to come here. Under her cute, black leather jacket, Zondra wore her very own tank top. Hers was black and showcased fairly more cleavage. Sarah's eyes probably not so subtly lingered on it. The tight black jeans that completed the ensemble weren't helping Sarah with her current problem either.

She moistened her lips, before finally stepping to the side to let Zondra in. She gave Sarah a knowing smile as she entered the safe house, deliberately passing her closely. Zondra had always known the affect she could have on Sarah. She still did.

"Nice place," Zondra said. "Doesn't look like CIA, though."

"It's not," Sarah answered, after closing the door. Zondra gave her a questioning look. "Long story."

Zondra delicately placed her helmet on the table, where Casey's file was still lying. Sarah had forgotten to hide it. She didn't have time to think about that, because Zondra turned fully to face Sarah, who was still standing by the door and stole all of her attention again. Suddenly, Sarah's "good friend" didn't seem so sure of herself. She almost looked nervous.

That's when Sarah realized that Zondra  _was_  nervous—just like her. Sarah may have given the look over to Zondra, but Zondra had done the same. She could see an expression in Zondra's eyes that was likely reflected in hers: lust.

This was kind of awkward.

Chuck usually was the one lightening the mood in situa—damn it, why did Sarah have to think of Chuck now? Now wasn't the time. She closed her eyes briefly, and walked to sit on the couch.

Zondra took off her jacket and joined her. Although she had left some distance between them, both seemed attracted to each other like magnets, and before Sarah could blink, they were sitting close. Too close.

"I missed you," Zondra said quietly. "I missed us."

Sarah swallowed. She could feel the blush creeping up her neck, then her cheeks, and soon her entire being would be darker than the color of her top.

"You look good, Sarah," Zondra added.

If the traitorous smile that slipped from Sarah's mouth at the compliment wasn't enough indication, her "You too" was. Sarah could feel herself falling for Zondra all over again. With the look she was giving Sarah right now, the way her lips moved when she pronounced her name, the scent of her perfume filling up the air, Sarah didn't really care. Things were going too fast, though. She changed the subject. "How have you been?"

"Good, you know," Zondra said, and she was regaining that casualness she used to display around Sarah years ago. "Missions, travels, good fights, pretty much what we used to do with the CATs."

"Yeah," Sarah said, although it hadn't been this way for her in a while. She shifted on the sofa.

"Not  _everything_  is the same, though," Zondra said, and this time, nervousness was nowhere to be found.

Sarah had a pretty good idea of what Zondra was saying, as she was picturing memories of the CAT Squad years. Missions used to be fun—and what happened after the missions hadn't been _fun_ , it'd been way more than that.

"Really?" Sarah said idiotically. What was happening to her? She had been able to make more than one word replies before, hadn't she?

"Yep," Zondra said. "But…it could be again." She grinned at Sarah, and shifted as well, to get closer, and closer, and…closer.

Sarah couldn't move. Zondra had some sort of hypnotic power on her. That had to be it.

When Zondra's mouth crashed against Sarah's, it was like she was back in 2003 all over again—the year when Sarah and Zondra's friendship had begun to be very  _good_. Back then, it had taken less than five minutes as well, before Sarah and Zondra were making out in a supply closet at Langley. Sensations, images, it all came back to her. It was sensual, and it had the same hint of aggressiveness it used to, even though it was soft and—what was she doing?

Zondra's hands were quick to slide under Sarah's Orange Orange tank top and graze her sides, leisurely going up. It made Sarah forget all about what she was going to try and think about.

Pushing Sarah down onto the sofa, Zondra nipped at Sarah's bottom lip, and she couldn't even tell if the moan she heard then was hers or Zondra's.

It suddenly reminded her of that time with Carina in Cancun, when—what the hell? She shouldn't be thinking of Carina right now; not when Zondra's hands were almost there. She was pissed at Carina. Her favorite red head had been right, though. Sarah was doing exactly what Carina had feared.

Sarah's eyes opened. They closed almost immediately after; Zondra's tongue was doing a pretty good job of making sure of that. As if it was a sign, however, during the brief moment her eyes had opened, they'd settled on the table where Zondra's helmet was, next to Casey's file.

Casey! He was going to arrive soon.

With Chuck.

Sarah broke away so fast it startled Zondra. She slipped out of Zondra's grasp and pushed herself off of the couch. She took two long strides to get some distance, in a hope to clear her mind.

"What's going on?" Zondra asked.

Inhaling deeply, Sarah tried to regulate her breathing. "We can't do this."

"No?" Zondra said, obviously amused. She straightened her top, taking the time to stretch in a way that would probably be inappropriate in public.

"No," Sarah said, and she looked away. She took another deep breath. "No, we can't. My partners are coming. They'll be here soon."

"Your partners?"

"Yeah, my partners."

Zondra's smile faded. "I see," she said. Her eyes suddenly took a dangerous expression. "Who is she?"

"What?"

"Your partner," Zondra said. "Who is she?" Sarah didn't say anything. "Come on, you can at least tell me who she is."

"It's nothing like that," Sarah said defensively. Why would she assume there was automatically another woman? There was, but…

"Really?" Zondra said, sounding more than skeptical. "You're not sleeping with that partner of yours?"

At that, Sarah could confidently answer that she wasn't. She and Chuck weren't there yet, and Casey…eww. Why would she even think of that? That was all wrong.

"Then, what is it?" Zondra sounded annoyed now. "Is it Carina?"

"What? No. Carina and I are over." Were they? She'd been pissed at Carina, but she couldn't just forget her like that. They had shared so much.

"But  _there is_  someone else." Zondra stood up, and crossed her arms, waiting.

There was, yes. Chuck.

It had taken Sarah time and a fair amount of heartbreak, but he was the one she had chosen all those months ago, albeit a tad forced by circumstances. That was likely why she'd never really committed to her relationship with Carina, Sarah realized now. Why she hadn't realized it before was lost on her—probably because of all the sex.

"I think you should go," Sarah said, almost surprising herself. It was time to choose.

Zondra's jaw set, and she watched Sarah for an absurdly long time—or was it a few seconds? "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I'm glad you're well, and I'm glad we put all of this nonsense behind us," Sarah said. "But…yes, I'm sure."

Sarah hoped Zondra wouldn't try to convince her some more. Her resolve wasn't the strongest about these things, and Chuck and Casey could be here anytime now.

"Fine," Zondra said, clearly unhappy by what had just happened. She grabbed her helmet and jacket in one swift movement, and was at the door even faster.

"Goodbye, Sarah."


	8. Unknown Location

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene takes place after the eighth chapter of "Chuck vs. the Rogue Spy" in this alternate universe.

_**Unknown Date** _

Sarah felt herself regaining consciousness.

The first thing she noticed was that she felt funny. She wasn't sure how to characterize it. Come to think of it, she wasn't really feeling anything. She was there, but she wasn't.

She tried to remember how she had gotten here.

They had been at the Ring building Chuck had found. Sarah had gotten out of the van to follow Sydney Prince. Did she really see Chuck taking out a bunch of bad guys with a chair? That seemed odd. Then, the coffee vending machine, and Prince, and the white tunnel—it was bright, extremely bright.

_Boom!_

The memory startled Sarah's mind. There had been a bomb. Sarah had followed Prince and her man. She had taken the elevator, and she'd run after them on the streets, freaking out pedestrians around them. Gunshots had been fired in the middle of the day—in the middle of civilians. And then…

Then, a bomb had exploded.

Sarah could still hear the piercing sound it had made. She remembered the force of the deflagration projecting her backwards in the air. It had felt almost like flying—like that feeling you get when gravity is catching up with you and nothing is keeping you from falling.

Black.

It was all black after that.

No… Chuck. Sarah recalled that Chuck had been there. Had he been? He often saved her, but maybe she had just imagined it. It wouldn't be the first time, although he usually wasn't wearing many clothes (if any) when she dreamed of him. She tried to think harder, but she had a difficult time focusing her mind. She didn't know why.

A sound distracted her. Something like…like a door, maybe. She wasn't sure.

"Any changes?"

Who was it, she wanted to ask. She couldn't. She heard a ruffling sound, and a grunt—Casey. It was Casey who had spoken.

"Devon said she could be like this for days." Chuck! It was Chuck's voice this time. "What are we gonna do, Casey?"

His voice was feeble and hoarse. He sounded sad, and tired. Sarah wanted to tell him she was okay, but…she suddenly felt extremely tired herself.

So tired.

–––––o–––––

_**Unknown Date** _

"Oh my God!"

A cute, familiar voice startled Sarah's mind. Carina—it was Carina's voice.

"Carina?" Sarah heard Chuck ask, echoing her thoughts.

"What happened? Oh my God, Sarah." Carina seemed troubled, upset. Why? What was she doing here with Chuck? She shouldn't be here with Chuck.

Sarah tried to remember how she had gotten here.

They had been at the Ring building. Sarah had gotten out of the van to follow Sydney Prince. Chuck had taken out a bunch of bad guys with a chair. Then, the coffee vending machine, and Prince, and the white tunnel—it was bright, extremely bright.

Then…there had been a bomb.

"What, uh, how did you know what happened? Who told you?" Chuck asked.

"I'm a spy, genius," Carina said.

"You shouldn't be here. Nobody is supposed to know."

A sniffle reverberated.

"What happened?" Carina repeated. Sarah felt a sudden urge to comfort her, to give her a hug—or more. She couldn't.

"She went after some Ring agents," Chuck said. Now, it was him that Sarah wanted to hug, preferably while he was shirtless, but she wasn't picky at the moment. He seemed so sad. "They set off a bomb to escape, and Sarah…" he trailed off.

"It's all your fault!" Carina said, and now tears were clearly audible through her words. "Why did you have to push her to go after the freaking Ring? She was fine before you decided she should take them down!"

"I…what…I didn't do anything," Chuck finally managed to say.

"Clearly! I want to see a doctor. Get me one!"

"What are you doing here? How do you now about the Ring?" Chuck's voice had taken a louder tone at Carina's shouts, and he seemed lost.

"She told me," Carina said, and she sniffled again. "She told me in Vegas, and—"

"In Vegas?"

Damn it, Carina! He doesn't know!

"Yeah, two days ago. We were supposed to have a great, relaxing day, probably use our usual Jacuzzi, some champagne, strawberries… But that damn Amy ruined it!"

There was a pause. Sarah hoped this was just a nightmare. She hadn't wanted Chuck to learn about her and Carina like this, if at all.

"We had a fight," Carina added.

"Oh." Silence set in again. Good, now shut up, Carina, please. "You had a fight. What about?"

"Zondra. What else?"

Oh, God. It _was_ a nightmare.

"Zondra," Chuck uttered absently.

"She's gonna wake up, right? She has to wake up!"

The frustration and anger were apparently fading, because Carina was crying harder now. Sarah heard a few steps—shoes against linoleum, she recognized the sound.

"It's gonna be okay," Chuck said. "She's gonna be okay."

The sound was muffled, but Sarah could tell that Carina continued crying.

–––––o–––––

_**Unknown Date** _

Sarah wasn't tired.

She was hearing voices, really, really far away. Every time she tried to focus on them, it should have exhausted her, like it did before. It didn't.

She tried to remember how she had gotten here.

At the Ring building, Sarah had gotten out of the van to follow Sydney Prince.

Chuck. She heard Chuck's lovely voice. He was too far; she couldn't make up what he'd said.

Chuck had taken out a bunch of bad guys with a chair.

"No!" Sarah heard. Was it Carina? She was crying, again.

Then, the coffee vending machine, and Prince.

A third person spoke. His voice was familiar. Sarah tried to focus, harder. Devon—it was Devon.

And the white tunnel—it was bright, extremely bright.

Kind of bright like it was right now.

Sarah didn't feel tired anymore. She felt light, and at peace. She liked the feeling.

"I'm sorry, Carina, Chuck, I'm really sorry," Devon said. "Sarah's gone, bro. She's…she's dead."


	9. Echo Park, Los Angeles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following scene simply takes place after the last one.

_**December 18, 2009** _

Guilty.

Chuck woke up and felt guilty, just like he had every day since Sarah was gone.

He sighed and opened his eyes, before twisting his neck on the pillow. There she was.

He smiled.

He stopped smiling.

He was grieving his ex-girlfriend, and he was discovering his new girlfriend.

He didn't know if he should move on, or if it was too soon to move on.

Was it wrong? It felt wrong; until it felt right.

Sarah was gone.

They say grief has five stages. Chuck had no idea what stage he was at. He just felt lost most of the time; everything had changed so suddenly.

One day, he'd been in a car telling Sarah he loved her, while he'd been simultaneously helping her hide from the government and the Ring, and trying to figure out who was after her and prove her innocence.

A day later, a bomb had exploded, plunging Sarah into a coma. Carina had barged in at the hospital, clearly upset. She and Sarah apparently had been in some kind of relationship. Who knew? Sarah also had had other "friends", including Zondra, one of her ex-CAT Squad partners, although it had apparently been a thing of the past. He hadn't asked for details.

Everything between Chuck and Sarah had been a lie. Not everything, Carina had said, but Chuck had had difficulty understanding. He'd wished he could have talked to Sarah.

Ten days later—ten days spent at Sarah's side with Carina, which had been a really odd bonding experience—and Sarah was gone, forever.

He couldn't feel his own, but he had witnessed the five stages of Carina's grief without trouble.

Denial had been clear. It hadn't lasted long. Carina wasn't a dreamy idealist. She lived in the moment. She had taken the news badly when Devon had announced to them that Sarah would never be waking up, but by the time Chuck had taken her back to her hotel room, denial had been over.

Anger had then set in. She'd been angry, she'd been furious, she'd been enraged. Chuck had rarely been more frightened in his life than in that moment, when Carina had grabbed his collar and had pushed him violently against her closed hotel room door. The memory had later seemed hot, but in the moment, it'd been just plain scary.

She'd yelled at first. Chuck had listened. She'd paced, and she'd shouted. She'd thrown knives across the room (it hadn't been pretty). She'd drunk vodka like it was water.

Chuck was a whiskey man. He'd drunk whiskey, and had joined her. He'd figured he could use a drunken night of sorrow.

It might have been the mistake that had started it all. Chuck didn't know. Was it a mistake? Was it not?

Carina's anger had shifted.

To angry sex.

He had said no at first, but he was drunk, he was confused and lost, and Carina—God, was she something. After that night, Chuck hadn't even been sure if he could blame Sarah for lying about Carina anymore.

He'd felt guilty, as soon as he'd woken up. Once, he'd managed to fight the hangover-y hell he'd been in. How could he have done this? (He sometimes wondered about that literally, because Carina was very flexible.)

She hadn't felt guilty. Carina had said Sarah wouldn't want them to be sad forever—Chuck had pointed out that a few hours and forever were quite different—and that from where she was—Carina didn't believe in the after-life—Sarah probably had enjoyed the show. Two of Sarah's favorite people together, she'd said. What was there not to like?

That was when bargaining had set in. Chuck wasn't sure how it was supposed to work, but he was pretty confident that Carina's version of the bargaining stage hadn't been standard. She'd bargained anything and everything…for sex—with him.

Again, Chuck had said no; several times. Regardless, it still always ended up with his world utterly rocked like it never had been before, and after a few days (or hours?), there hadn't even been any alcohol involved.

Carina was so distracting. Chuck wasn't sure how it happened, but it always did. When they'd gone to Malibu to secretly spread out Sarah's ashes at the beach, Chuck had already lost count of how many times he and Carina had slept together.

That day however, they hadn't. Depression had come. Carina had spent the whole day crying. She'd cried when she'd woken up, and when she'd eaten breakfast. She'd cried in the shower, and didn't even try anything when Chuck had joined her for support. (It really wasn't like her.) She'd cried on the ride to the beach, and during the private ceremony, he, Carina, Zondra, Devon, and Casey had had in Sarah's honor. They were the only one to know—the five of them, and General Beckman.

Casey had told her, when it had been obvious that Chuck wouldn't be able to hide anything. He had barely left the hospital for ten days. Beckman had trusted Casey, and the evidence he had presented to her. She had covered for them, given a leave of absence to Chuck, and hidden everything.

Chuck heard an adorable moan next to him. It was music to his ears, and he reached out a hand and tucked a stray of hair behind her ear.

He could see the tear marks from the day before on her face. She'd cried so much.

Coming back home (it had been an awkward conversation with Ellie, and then with Morgan, but his sister had taken the news of him and Carina remarkably well, and his best friend had had no choice but to accept it), Carina had cried again. Not as much, it had come by waves, and sometime during the night, Chuck had told her about his plans. He wanted to find who had been after Sarah. He didn't believe in making justice yourself, but he was amongst the very few people that knew the truth. He wanted to do that for Sarah.

Despite everything, Chuck knew she had loved him. Maybe it wasn't conventional love, but Sarah Walker had never been conventional—at all. He'd loved that about her. She had always protected him, and he wanted to know why he hadn't been able to protect her. Carina had said she'd help him.

She lingered against his hand. Today was a different day, and Carina smiled, before opening her eyes. He smiled back, and she immediately crashed to his side, both arms tightening around him, her mouth on his mouth, her lips parted against his lips, her tongue playing with his tongue.

Chuck broke the kiss for air after some time. He had no idea of how much, and he didn't care.

He didn't care.

For the first time, since Sarah was gone, Chuck didn't care that he was gloriously making out with Carina, in his bed, in his bedroom, right after he'd woken up, and like he'd done the day before, and the day before that one, and the day before that one...

Sarah was gone, and Carina made his days worth waking up for.

Chuck grinned at Carina, and she gave him a devilish smirk, before attacking his jaw, his neck, his shoulders, his _everything_. He sighed in contentment, and he let his hands wander over Carina's delicious body.

Chuck realized in that moment that it was here: Acceptance.

Sarah was gone.

Sarah was dead.

Chuck was alive.

He would always love her, but Sarah was dead, and he was alive. Maybe Carina was right, and two of Sarah's favorite people together made sense. And quite frankly, what Carina was currently doing to him was making Chuck forget most of whatever he'd ever known.

He knew right now, though, that he'd just accepted what had happened, and suddenly, he could feel:

Not guilty.


	10. The Beach, Costa Gravas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter simply takes place after the last one.

_**January 10, 2010** _

The heat from the sun, mixing with the fresh breeze, felt great against Sarah's skin. She sighed in contentment on her lounge chair.

Finally, she could enjoy a state of clothing she was comfortable with: a bikini. Some would call it a state of undress, but Sarah knew better. She had long thought that the real crime was to hide her perfect body—especially her pretty legs—under layers of unnecessary clothes, when she could be like she was now: in a bikini. A really nice blue one, too.

"Here you go," her companion said, as she handed her a delicious-looking cocktail.

"Thank you," Sarah said, and took an extra minute to watch her friend lying down on the lounge chair right next to hers. She was wearing a nice bikini as well. The green pareo complementing her beach outfit was slightly obscuring the view, but Sarah still appreciated it.

Ellie put her sunglasses on the top of her head, even though the sunlight made her grimace slightly, and she looked at Sarah with sparkles in her eyes. "I think that was definitely a good choice," she told Sarah, and gave her a broad smile.

Sarah finished sipping on the straw from her cocktail. "What was?"

"What you're wearing," Ellie said. "It looks great."

It had been a long fitting session all morning to decide what to wear. Well, it had been the activities inspired in between the fittings that had taken them so long, not the fittings themselves. Eventually, they had decided to just choose one randomly or they would have never made it to the beach while the water was still there.

Ellie raised from her chair a little, and started to lean in slowly toward Sarah. " _You_ look great," she added before kissing her.

–––––o–––––

_**December 12, 2009** _

Sarah felt herself awakening.

The first thing she noticed was that she felt funny. She wasn't sure how to characterize it. It hurt, too.

She tried to remember how she had gotten here. Sarah's eyes popped open at the memory of the bomb explosion, and they closed just as fast. The light hurt.

"Hey," she heard, and felt a hand take hers. "Sarah? Can you hear me?"

Sarah could still hear the piercing sound the bomb had made. She recalled that Chuck had been there. He stayed with her in the ambulance, but she must have lost consciousness soon after that because she couldn't remember anything else. Where was she?

"Sarah, can you hear me?" the lovely voice asked again. Beeping sounds were also filling the room.

The hand that was going up and down her forearm in a reassuring and familiar way calmed her down, and Sarah tried to open her eyes again. She had longed for that touch for some time now. Ellie smiled at her as Sarah blinked the ache from the light away.

"Here," she said, and handed Sarah a plastic cup with ice cubes in it.

Sarah suddenly realized how dry her mouth was, and took it with her other hand. She didn't want to let go. Ellie waited patiently, while Sarah took her time re-hydrating. She took in her surroundings as she did so.

She was in a hospital room, and linked to several machines. There were several gossip magazines on her night stand. She noticed that the empty chair on her right had a hoodie laid on it. It was Chuck's, she recognized. A scarf was next to it, and Sarah thought she knew it, but couldn't place it.

"Are you feeling okay?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah," Sarah said, and she coughed. Her voice was feeble. "Yeah," she tried again. "I think so. Thank you."

Ellie must have read the questions that were filling Sarah's mind, because she said, "You've been here ten days. The explosion put you in a coma, and it's been touch-and-go for a while, but now that you're awake, you're gonna be fine."

"And Chuck?"

Ellie smiled. "He's fine, too. Casey and Carina as well."

Carina? What did Carina—the scarf! It was Carina's. Blurry memories of Carina and Chuck talking in her room immediately hit her. Carina had come here, after she'd learned what had happened, and she'd told Chuck about them. Chuck knew.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. Everybody's fine, Sarah," Ellie said, likely sensing her brief moment of panic. She squeezed her hand.

Sarah focused on her. She was in her scrubs, and she looked great but tired, probably from a long shift.

"Why did they tell you I was here?" Sarah asked.

"They didn't. I figured it out a few days ago. Devon has never been very good with keeping secrets." Unlike us, Sarah thought. "They don't know that I know."

Sarah looked at the door instinctively.

"Chuck and Carina went to eat downstairs at the cafeteria," she said. "We've got some time."

Some time for what? Sarah still felt a little tired, and she honestly wasn't sure what to say. She tried not to be affected by seeing Ellie again, but she wasn't very successful.

"I've missed you," Ellie said, breaking the silence.

Sarah frowned. "You're the one that decided we were over and went through with the wedding," she said, letting more hurt transpire in her tone than she wished.

"I know," she replied. "I think…I made a mistake, Sarah."

Sarah inhaled deeply when she realized she hadn't taken a breath in a long time. Her separation from Ellie, if she could even call it that since all they had ever done (as pleasant as it had been) was sneaking around, had been…rough on Sarah. She had never admitted it to Ellie, but she wasn't fooled. Ellie knew. Sarah knew. What they had had, it hadn't been a fling, it'd been real, and when Ellie decided she _really_ wanted to marry Devon…

"Ellie," Sarah said, and a hint of desperation could already be heard. She was pathetic.

Ellie let go of her hand and took a few steps back. "I know, I know," she said, and started pacing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything. I just…"

She stopped and looked back at Sarah. Her eyes were shining with emotions, and Sarah forgot all about her anger in that moment.

"I'm sorry if I scared you," Sarah said.

Ellie immediately rushed back to her side, taking her hand once more. "I thought I could do this, I thought it was the right thing to do, but…but it doesn't feel right anymore, Sarah."

Just when Sarah had decided that Chuck was who she'd chosen… Sarah had said "No" to Zondra, for the first time ever, and it hadn't been easy. She had decided to end things in a definitive manner with Carina as well. She was even considering telling the truth to Chuck before they could finally be together for real. And now, Ellie…

Sarah frowned. Just when she had decided that Chuck was who she'd chosen, a bomb had exploded. She'd almost died. Maybe, everything that had happened was a sign—another one. Maybe, Chuck and Sarah just weren't meant to be, just like she had thought after the Victorville incident.

Chuck didn't need her anymore. He was safe—safer without her, even. And nothing ever went right for them. And the truth was—the truth was, Sarah wasn't even sure she'd be with Chuck if Ellie hadn't broken things up—hadn't broken her heart all these months ago.

The Bartowksi charm was very powerful, and confusing—with both Bartowskis.

"I met Carina," Ellie said, interrupting Sarah's thoughts. "She's very pretty."

Ellie wasn't usually jealous. She probably knew that ultimately she was the real deal for Sarah, and so she had never been jealous about Sarah's other girlfriends in the past. That's why Sarah had always told her all about them.

"You've met her?"

"Yeah, she's, uh, she's spending a lot of time with Chuck these days."

"Oh." Sarah looked at the door again, and tried to imagine Chuck and Carina hanging out together. That was an odd idea, but surely two of her favorite people couldn't be wrong together.

When she looked back at Ellie, the brunette was looking closely at her face, searching. "It's not really like that," Sarah said, and felt her cheek reddening. "I mean, it is." She paused. "But it's over, now. It wasn't serious."

Sarah cringed inwardly. It had been kind of serious. Sarah had loved Carina. She still did in some way, and she'd always cherish their time together, but it really _was_ over now. She'd made her choice. And why was she justifying herself? She wasn't the married one!

"You don't have to—"

"What about Devon, Ellie?" Sarah cut her off.

"I made a mistake," she repeated.

"But you love Devon."

"Of course, I do," she said, suddenly defensive. "You know it's more complicated than that."

"Yeah," was all Sarah said, and she mustered a smile in understanding.

Silence lapsed again for a while. Sarah's head was all over the place. Carina, Chuck, Devon, Ellie, Zondra—it was complicated. And Sarah was just waking up from a ten day coma, because the Ring had tried to blow her up. She was also probably being hidden from the government, right now.

"You know about the Ring?" she asked Ellie.

"I do," she replied with a nod. "Casey told Beckman. They weren't sure what to do. She's covering for you."

"Oh," Sarah said again, and hid a yawn with the back of her hand.

Ellie probably sensed Sarah's fatigue, for she reached a hand out to stroke Sarah's cheek and tuck a rogue lock of hair behind her ear. Sarah sighed. They didn't have much time left. She smiled the broadest smile she could, and waited to see if Ellie would do the same.

She did immediately, validating Sarah in her thoughts. "So…you had a few more days to think about this. What do you propose we do?"

–––––o–––––

_**January 10, 2010** _

"I think you're good," Ellie said, recapping the sunscreen bottle.

Sarah sighed in contentment. She was doing that a lot since Ellie had finally joined her a few days ago. Sarah had been here, in Costa Gravas, away from the Ring's radar and reach, for almost a month now, but Ellie had had to wait so as to not raise suspicions. Always the thoughtful one, she had said that it didn't feel right to leave everybody before the holidays, too.

So Ellie had waited. But now, to Sarah's pleasure, she was here, moving off of Sarah on the sand, after conscientiously helping her apply sunscreen to every inch of skin available—and more.

Skin protection was important. Ellie had insisted, and she was a doctor, so who was Sarah not to comply? She wasn't sure that it needed to be done every hour, but she wasn't complaining.

"I think I'm gonna go for a swim," Ellie said.

Sarah turned on her back, and rested on both of her elbows behind her. "I'm gonna work on my tan some more," she said. "I'm a bit sleepy."

Immediately, concern overtook Ellie's face and she kneeled down beside her. "Are you feeling okay?"

Sarah inwardly chastised herself for talking before thinking. Ever since the little play they had pulled off to free themselves from their previous lives and come live in Costa Gravas together, Ellie had been worried about Sarah's health. She was perfectly fine, though. A little fatigue remained, but it was nothing an afternoon nap (preferably following an afternoon delight) couldn't fix.

To fake Sarah's death completely, so that everybody would buy it, Ellie had heavily drugged Sarah. She could tell the brunette felt a little guilty about putting her through that, but it had been _their_ plan, _their_ choice. And Sarah didn't regret it for a second.

She felt bad for Chuck, and Devon, and all they'd left behind, but they'd move on. According to Ellie, Chuck already had with Carina. They'd be happy and safe, just like Ellie and Sarah would be happy and safe here.

"I'm fine," Sarah said, and laughed. "I'm keeping my strength up for later," she added, with as much mischief as she could.

It worked. Ellie beamed, and leaned forward. "Okay," she said, and captured Sarah's lips, more aggressively than Sarah expected.

Both her elbows threatened to fail Sarah, when Ellie's right hand came to graze her side, even as she deepened the kiss. She shivered under the other woman's fingers, and it didn't take long for Ellie to smile. Ellie pulled back and laughed, well aware of the affect she had.

For a long while, Sarah had always had a sense of confusion when she was with someone else. Chuck had come closest to clearing the confusion out—very close—but it was only with Ellie that she'd experienced the feeling that things made sense. Things were right when they were together.

"I'll be looking forward to that, then," Ellie said, as she rose to her feet, making sand cascade from her knees.

Watching—and enjoying—Ellie's walk to the water, Sarah was certainly looking forward to it as well.

Fin.


End file.
